College Major

[Whoblowsthere04]

I want to be a pilot. Should i major in aviation in college?

[KBUF]

I don't think you have looked at the information given on this website (links on the left side of the home page). That is explained in detail there

[BoilerPilot2007]

Take a look around the site. Personally, I'd say, no.

[BCTAv8r]

How about Aviation Management? Is it an useful major?

[UAL747400]

Well, I used to be an aviation management major until today actually. I decided to go with commercial aviation and pick up a minor in meteorology. If you do decide to go with aviation manangement. Make sure you are interested in business. It took me a year and a half to figure out that I wasnt. Im only like 2 classes behind so its not too bad. The thing I've noticed is my interest in aviation has come down to flying only. Its flying or nothing for me. The administrative side would just end up teasing the crap out of me. Im pretty sure aviation management still limits you to aviation. Hence why its called aviation management I guess. If you wish to go other places with business you'd probably have to go back to school to get a more specialized business degree. Or a more universal one. But if being part of the administrative side of aviation is interesting to you I'd go for aviation management. This just wasnt the case for me.

In my situation if flying didnt work out, I'd probably go back to school and complete a bachelor in meteorology.

To summarize all that blabbing:
Interested in aviation administration? Go aviation management
Not really interested? Dont

[Chris_Ford]

Originally Posted by Whoblowsthere04

I want to be a pilot. Should i major in aviation in college?

No no no no no no no no no

It's worthless. It makes you incredibly one-dimensional and the classes are an insult, despite how selective your college may be.

[fsuflyer]

Originally Posted by Whoblowsthere04

I want to be a pilot. Should i major in aviation in college?

NO!! major in something useful like biochemistry

[supercell86]

Originally Posted by Chris_Ford

No no no no no no no no no

It's worthless. It makes you incredibly one-dimensional and the classes are an insult, despite how selective your college may be.

yes yes yes yes yes

It's very useful. I'm in college now for Aviation Science....love the classes, I can not imagine taking any other classes!! The only classes that are an "insult" are the classes that aren't related to aviation....such as English comp. or comp. sci. Maybe I'm wrong, and I don't care, because as I said I would not want to take any other classes...nothing else interests me. That's just me though, I'm not really the school type of person, I'm here to kinda just get my degree and go to work. I guess it depends on what type of person you are.....

[fsuflyer]

Originally Posted by supercell86

yes yes yes yes yes

It's very useful.

How?

Originally Posted by supercell86

Maybe I'm wrong, and I don't care

good luck when you're on furlough. then you WILL care...

[NORCAL pilot]

From what I was told before I... attended an aviation college, it really doesn't matter one way or another what your major is. I still think that to be true, BUT:

a) Going to an aviation school MIGHT just help you get a job. A lot of places out there really "like to hire Riddle guys, UND guys, Purdue guys" or whoever. (or girls)

b) Going to an aviation school will make you an expert in your field if you apply yourself. You will also have opportunities and networking that others simply won't. CRJ/ERJ training is also a plus. Airlines talk to and hire directly from respected aviation schools (once applicants have the time, that is...)

ON THE OTHER HAND:
a) You might become "incredibly one-dimensional" as someone mentioned. You can join activities to help combat that. I was involved more on "the other side of campus" as it is called... (the non-aviation side). It helps.

b) You might enjoy school more somewhere else. All of my friends are in school in Santa Barbara, San Diego, and other such paradises, and I reside in North Dakota... enough said. Of course, after college, they'll all have to face the real world, and it ought to be easy enough for me to make a change.

LASTLY:
As I graduate, I do not worry about finding a job. I know there will be one. Many friends in other majors still don't have a clue what they want to do... I am glad that I came here. You are in control of your life, and do not have to fall into any stereotype of what someone says you will or will not become.

Ask yourself: What would YOU prefer to do in school?
I wanted to learn more about aviation, something I would use. I have.
Hope that helps.

[Chris_Ford]

Originally Posted by supercell86

yes yes yes yes yes

It's very useful. I'm in college now for Aviation Science....love the classes, I can not imagine taking any other classes!! The only classes that are an "insult" are the classes that aren't related to aviation....such as English comp. or comp. sci. Maybe I'm wrong, and I don't care, because as I said I would not want to take any other classes...nothing else interests me. That's just me though, I'm not really the school type of person, I'm here to kinda just get my degree and go to work. I guess it depends on what type of person you are.....

That's cool. Tell me everything you know about the history of art then

It's fine if you don't want to apply yourself, but aviation is not a difficult enough subject to require much individual thinking/creativity/renaissance-man-menship. See? I would've been able to come up with a real word if I hadn't spent the last 3 years learning that weight * arm = moment.

[supercell86]

First of all thats just a bad question...because I know nothing about art, lol.

Second of all I'm involved in other things....I'm in drama club, act alot....involved in my church, and happen to be in college which equals ladies and parties....so I have alot of other things in my life other than aviation....I dont think I'm one demensional.

Third of all....When I'm forlouged, there are plenty of other jobs you can get in the industry....if you have a 4-year degree...even if its in, hold your breath everyone, Aviation....some times may be tough, but that degree will get a good paying job. In fact thats the only reason I'm getting it. If I knew I was never gunna have any medical proplems or whatever else would prevent me from being a pilot, I'd go right to the airlines and forget college....but I want to have that backup.


Fourth of all....as I said, this is just my opionion. I could not imagine majoring in anything else. I looked into it....and honestly nothing else interests me, at all. And UNfortunetly I'm not a school person and only do well if I'm really interested in something.....

Also....I went to high school so I cold come up with real words, if you can't do the basics by 12th grade then go be a loser, lol.

By the way FSU....it is useful.... If you have an aviation degree it doesn't mean the ONLY thing you can be is a pilot. You don't think that an airport or airline or aircraft company would hire a forloughed pilot?? I would rather have my airport manager have some flight experience....know what I mean?

[Chris_Ford]

Originally Posted by supercell86

Third of all....When I'm forlouged, there are plenty of other jobs you can get in the industry....if you have a 4-year degree...even if its in, hold your breath everyone, Aviation....some times may be tough, but that degree will get a good paying job. In fact thats the only reason I'm getting it. If I knew I was never gunna have any medical proplems or whatever else would prevent me from being a pilot, I'd go right to the airlines and forget college....but I want to have that backup.

And what do you do if another catastrophe on the levels of 9/11 happens that all but shuts down the industry? What's your non-aviation backup?

Also....I went to high school so I cold come up with real words, if you can't do the basics by 12th grade then go be a loser, lol.

Fair enough, come up with a word that means "Renaissance man-menship" then.

[supercell86]

"Fair enough, come up with a word that means "Renaissance man-menship" then."


lol. Ok your good at making up words....if I goto college for 4 yrs for something other than aviation maybe I'll be able to make up cool words. In all seriousness....good point ...If 9/11 happens again I'm screwed, but I'm just not interested in anything else, and therefore probably would have a hard time with other subjects. It depends on what type of person you are as i said....I'm driven when it comes to aviation, but anything else I'm very lazy, that is a weakness of mine that I need to get a hold of.

[Bignellyxx]

I am currently an aviation management major at UND. I think the argument that you cant get non aviation related jobs with an aviation degree is BS. Of course you cant become a doctor or a lawyer with an aviation degree. A good deal of employers just want you to have a college degree. There are millions of art majors and psychology majors and other underwater basket weaving majors that get jobs. You wont be able to get furloghed turnaround and get a high paying job with out experience anyways. The only degrees that i think that would be beneficial are an egineering degree ( if you are into that) which you would still need experience and a business degree. If the need be i can alway persue a Masters in Business after i walk out of here with an Aviation Management degree. So i just want to stress that an aeronautics degree isn't like having a crippled leg in the non aviation world.

[supercell86]

Originally Posted by Bignellyxx

I am currently an aviation management major at UND. I think the argument that you cant get non aviation related jobs with an aviation degree is BS. Of course you cant become a doctor or a lawyer with an aviation degree. A good deal of employers just want you to have a college degree. There are millions of art majors and psychology majors and other underwater basket weaving majors that get jobs. You wont be able to get furloghed turnaround and get a high paying job with out experience anyways. The only degrees that i think that would be beneficial are an egineering degree ( if you are into that) which you would still need experience and a business degree. If the need be i can alway persue a Masters in Business after i walk out of here with an Aviation Management degree. So i just want to stress that an aeronautics degree isn't like having a crippled leg in the non aviation world.

EXACTLY, you're the first person who has ever said that, atleast that I have seen so far....you realize now people are going to call you one demensional and everything.....BS too, have other things in ur life and its all good. In Fact as far as I'm interested...a nice flight and a drink afterwards with my girfriend is well rounded enough for me, lol.

[Chris_Ford]

Originally Posted by supercell86

EXACTLY, you're the first person who has ever said that, atleast that I have seen so far....you realize now people are going to call you one demensional and everything.....BS too, have other things in ur life and its all good. In Fact as far as I'm interested...a nice flight and a drink afterwards with my girfriend is well rounded enough for me, lol.

The fact that you're content with being one-dimensional is a problem. Do you see school as a hurdle or as something that will always be with you?

[Bignellyxx]

are you kidding ...... your a coyotes fan.....no but seriously that is absurd.....what do you think a pilot should have...a Bio chem degree with honors and while we are at it an underwater basket weaving degreee...this kind of person should be a doctor that weaves baskets underwater not a pilot...

[supercell86]

Originally Posted by Bignellyxx

are you kidding ...... your a coyotes fan.....no but seriously that is absurd.....what do you think a pilot should have...a Bio chem degree with honors and while we are at it an underwater basket weaving degreee...this kind of person should be a doctor that weaves baskets underwater not a pilot...

Again...totally agree. As I said I love aviation, and am heavily involved in it...however, I still go out and do other things with non-flying friends, if you will. I also act in plays and goto church and goto myspace.com and jetcareers.com, which is my life now....hahahaha.....not anywhere close to being one demensional...

Do you think that fact that Doctors goto school for biology makes them one demensional????

If yes..don't you think they have OTHER things in their life besides that?? Of course they do, everyone, including myself does.

[CoBuilder]

This thinking of only going to school for one thing only and being one-dimensional is somewhat silly. Yes, school can expose you to a variety of interests but it's not the only outlet. Most schools require a minor or electives to graduate so you can expose yourself from there as well. School also only offers a base and the professor is guidance. It is up to each person to explore and self-educate. And if a similar 9/11 hits again(Lord Forbid), then aviation industry will not be the only sector affected as many in the financial services/business/retail sectors could be affected as well. This was certainly the case as NY was hit with the highest unemployment rate after 9/11 in over 10 years. So ideally, there is a possibility of not even getting a job with your non-aviation degree, especially given that you have next to no working experience in the industry of your degree.


Hooray for my first post!

[BoilerPilot2007]

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Speaking from experience - if I could do it again, I'd get a degree in something else. If I had another 30k to drop, I'd get another degree.

I'll be looking towards a Masters degree in the near future.

[UAL747400]

I dont see any difference with some going to school for any other job and getting the appropriate specialized degree. Doctors, lawyers, whatever. Maybe their wrong too. I do understand though that a degree in aviation isnt required for a pilot like a degree in medicine is for a doctor or whatever. However I dont see whats so wrong with getting that commercial aviation degree. It is a bachelor in science by the way.

I think its better to at least minor in something else, but not neccessarily MAJOR in something different. You'll still need experiance regardless if you try to pursue that other major as your regular job.

This is all coming from a guy who's other strong interest is automobiles. Something you really dont need higher education for neccessarily. That would probably be my fall back.